The Osceola times., 1887-09-03
TIE UTE TROUBLE.

Man Killed and Several Woundcd-fenrs
of Bloody Work by Raiding Parues OF
Indians on Unprotected Ranehers An"
Others.
CAMP ADAMS, MEEKRR, Col, Aug. u
/ IL :35 a. M. via GLEYwooD SPRINGS, Coi''
/ Aug. 27.-3 D. ma courier from Pray
has lust arrived from Rangely, sixty-hve
I miles west of Meeker. He brings news OF
D the first fight. The Utes opened fire first
] at $50 a. M, August y. Jack ward OF
/ Kendall's party is killed and five men are
wounded, two Of the sheriff's party and
/ three OF the Colorado National Guards.
/ There were forty of the troops ana forty Oh
| the sherif's men engaged with about one
! hundred aud twenty-five Utes. Three Utes
are known to have been killed certainly,
and how many more is only surmised.
/ The Indians are said TO he attacking the
! ranches below and butchering the ranch
ers, and ii is expected that troops Will
| have to go TO their assistance. Pray, cap
tain of the scouts, had his horse shot from
under him, hut he is unhurt. DIR. Dumont,
/ of Meeker, was wounded.
| The fight occurred at a place six miles
west of Rangely, in a little canyon be.
| tween the mountains. The Indians had
planned an ambush, but the scouts discov-
~
! opened fire, and Major Leslie, who com.
manded the scouts, which were augmented
| by Major Hooper's Aspen volunteers, re-
turned the fire from behind the rocks. The
| Indians showed themselves and fought
| desperately Upon the first con-
centrated fire of the troops two In.
dians fell, and one white man, DR..
| Dumont, of Meeker, with KendalPs
band, was wounded. For two hours the
| battle ragged incessantly, when the Utes re-
treated to timber and only skirmish shots
were fired during the day. This continued
until eleven o'clock last night, but no one
was injured. Jack Ward, one of Kendalrs
men, was shot down during the first part
of the fight. The whites saw eight Indians
| dragged behind the line. The Indians were
dead. There were FIVE whites wounded.
At twelve O'Clock the news is confirmed
that eight Indians were killed, three in
the early part of the fight and five later.
The hospital is well arranged and ready
for occupancy in the Meeker schoolhouse.
| Meeker is as quiet oi n funeral. Little
groups on the streets have got wind of the
news and are waiting with bated breath.
| Many who asserted last night with great
Custo that the Utes were escaping and on
the reservation are now thoroughly asham-
ed. An official dispatch states that the
militia vert into action calmly and
fought coolly. When the Utes open
ed fire, seven troopers, with
more pluck than discretion charg-
ed on them. 1t is believed by
Pray that there will be no more walking
after Indians The Utes will make
standing fight. The fight lasted all day,
August -, and when the scout courier
left at elevenp p. m, rifles were still cracking.
II Is probable that another fight has oc-
Cured to-day (the 26th).
It was expected that the Indians were
largely reinforced, but Pray reported at
eleven p. m. that victory was with the
whites. Tho troopers, scouts and posse
are absolutely ON foot with no forage for
their horses but sage-brush.
Reinforcements are urgently and quickly
needed. The fight was forced by the Utes
who are aggressive and mean bloody busi-
ness. The condition Of the ranchers who
laughed at this "Indian farce" and
started for their remote ranches alone
down White river, is very pitable. ex-
pect that ranches on the Glenwood and
Meeker road will he raided any moment,
as there is nothing to prevent it. We may
now look for Indian murders on small par.
ties of railroad graders, timber-cutters,
prospectors, surveyors, camping par
ties and every small unpro-
tected bunch Of whites every
where. The Indians usually travel seven
tv-iive TO one hundred miles daily, steal
ing fresh horses as they go and killing the
exhausted ones to prevent them falling
into the hands of the enemy. They can
subsist on raw meat alone, and this is
what makes it so hard for men to foil ow
and overtake them on one mount. Til
later news comes from the front can not
predict whether the Utes will follow the
: policy of a running and raiding fight
E or not. Whatever the result OF
e their fight may be, il must be re-
membered the troops have had nothing to
eat for two and one-half days, and their
5 horses are all played out. Besides this
6 there were so few of them and so many OF
C the enemy. Those who know the country
! claim the fight occurred only about fifteer
miles from the reservation lines, and that
the country is very broken and full oI
/. deep raynes and gullies.
e Opinions of people here at Meeker vary
greatly. A great many think the Ute'
. were on their way to the reservation anc
there would have been no fight if they hat
been left alone. Others declare that tn,
Indians were nearer the reservation at tn,
;, time than is stated in the last report.